This case is getting stranger and stranger.
From the Las Vegas Sun: Assemblyman Steven Brooks said he was “not afraid to die” and was “willing to have a shootout with the police,” his relatives told officers before the North Las Vegas Democrat was arrested for threatening the Democratic leader, according to a law enforcement report obtained by the Las Vegas Sun.
According to the report, Las Vegas City Councilman Ricki Barlow started the chain of events that ultimately led to Brooks’ arrest on charges of threatening a public official, Assembly Speaker-elect Marilyn Kirkpatrick.
Barlow told police on Saturday evening he had spoken to Brooks, who had once served as Barlow’s assistant at the city of Las Vegas. Brooks, according to Barlow, “needed help,” the North Las Vegas police report said.
“Councilman Barlow believed Assemblyman Brooks had a loaded gun in his possession, and he believed there was a real danger to Speaker Kirkpatrick,” according to one of the officer’s statements.
Brooks was arrested by police Saturday at 5:27 p.m. After his release from jail Sunday, Brooks declared his innocence to area journalists.
In his car, police found a .357 Smith and Wesson revolver inside a white shoebox, along with 41 live rounds of ammunition.
Brooks’ wife told police that a friend in the security business had given Brooks the firearm. His wife also told police she was worried about him and that his “mental health has been getting worse.”
According to the report, Brooks never personally confronted Kirkpatrick with the weapon.
Kirpatrick called police after Sen. Kelvin Atkinson relayed to her Brooks’ threats. According to the report, Barlow had called Atkinson to warn him of Brooks’ statements.
Kirkpatrick told police that Atkinson wrote in a text message that “no one should feel safe around Brooks” and that he should be kept out of the legislative building.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/jan/22/armed-assemblyman-was-prepared-shoot-out-report-sa/
So, now, it comes out that Brooks never really did threaten Kirkpatrick with a gun. If all he said was, of Kirkpatrick: "Her first day of being Speaker would be her last", his is not a physical threat, if he meant that he was trying to get votes and have her removed from being the speaker of the Nevada Assembly.
He didn't even confront Kirkpatrick in person but made the supposed comment to another Democrat, who threw Brooks under the bus.
And now the Democrats are trying to say that Brooks has a mental illness while they throw him under the bus. But yet, the Democrats are not demanding that Brooks resign from the Assembly.
Another question I have: Is this a racial matter/incident? Brooks is black and Kirkpatrick is white. Kirkpatrick purged many blacks from leadership positions when she made committee assignments. On the committees, there is only 1 Black member who is a chair of a committee.
In the leadership positions of the Democratic caucus, there are only 2 Black leaders and they are Majority and assistant floor majority leaders. So, it is possible that Brooks thought Kirkpatrick was making committee assignments and leadership based on race. After all, the Democrats have always second class citizens in the Democratic Party on the national level and even in the White House.
Finally, Barlow and Brooks and William Horne are some of the Black leaders who refuse to speak up about black on black crime and don't speak up about the no snitching policy that has infiltrated the inner city neighborhoods. You throw in Obama and other national Black leaders who takes the Black community for granted and no wonder you have people like Brooks start acting out in frustration
I think the case against Brooks is quite weak but that won't stop the Democrats from throwing him under the bus.
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